Chapter 38
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Lydia made the turn onto Gram-Gram’s quiet street, wincing as she glanced at the dashboard clock. She was almost fifteen minutes late for their Sunday morning brunch date, but it couldn’t be helped because the traffic had absolutely sucked.
Moments later, she pulled into Gram-Gram’s driveway, remembering to grab the pretty flower arrangement that she’d picked up at Marney’s on her way out of town.
It had been super sweet of her friend to put something together on the fly because meeting up with Gram-Gram certainly hadn’t been part of her original weekend plans.
But Gram-Gram had called twenty minutes before Lydia had been ready to crawl into bed, mostly insisting that her favorite granddaughter come up for a visit.
Hurrying up the walkway to the front door, she smoothed her blue-striped minidress, then her hair that she’d pulled back with a barrette before she used the code to let herself in, not wanting Gram-Gram or her housekeeper to walk all the way to the grand entrance when it wasn’t necessary.
“Gram-Gram,” she called as her sandals slapped against the marble floor, veering toward the sitting room when she thought she heard voices. “I know I’m late. I’m so sorry…”
Ty rushed up from his seat on the couch as she stopped dead in the doorway. He wore gray athletic shorts and one of his black compression T-shirts that accentuated all of his yumminess, looking as shocked as she felt. “Lyd.”
“I didn’t—I don’t…” was the best she could do as she shook her head and held his gaze while her heart pounded in her chest. He was so gorgeous. She loved him so much.
“I’m glad you could join us,” Gram-Gram said as she stood from her chair in the dead silence.
“I didn’t know,” Lydia said now, looking at Gram-Gram, still at a loss for words.
Gram-Gram nodded, dressed in black yoga pants and a blue sweatshirt—a very casual outfit that she would only ever wear to exercise. “Tyler stopped by to help me with my workout.”
Lydia nodded this time, still reeling from the very unexpected turn that the morning had taken. “I see that.”
“I certainly appreciate it. I know he doesn’t have a lot of time to help old ladies exercise. Not with his responsibilities at the FBI.”
Lydia felt her eyes grow wide as they filled with tears. “Oh, Gram-Gram.”
Gram-Gram held up her hand. “That’s something you and I can talk about later. But for now, I’m going to head upstairs to change.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said as Gram-Gram stopped in front of her.
Gram-Gram kissed her cheek, then took the vase from her hands. “We’ll talk later.”
She nodded, waiting while Gram-Gram left the room, holding Ty’s stare until Gram-Gram’s footsteps faded on the stairs. “You told her?”
He shook his head as he closed the distance between them, smelling just as great as he looked. “She and your uncle knocked on my apartment door Friday evening.”
Her eyes grew wide again as the surprises kept coming. “Uncle James knows?”
Ty nodded. “I was going to call you…” He shrugged as he shook his head. “I told them that I forced your hand and that you only agreed to help to protect them.”
She exhaled a long breath as she stared at the floor, feeling her life falling apart all over again. “Oh God.”
“I think he was more surprised than upset. I know he appreciates that we helped Will.”
She looked at him. “You helped Will.”
He shook his head. “We both did.”
She shook her head this time. “You did, Ty, and I can only thank you.”
He nodded. “I told you I would.”
She swallowed, unable to look away from his gorgeous blue eyes.
He hesitated before he captured her hand like he had so many times before. “How are you, Lyd?”
His skin was warm. His big hand swallowed hers like it always did. Everything about this moment was pleasure and pain. “I’m fine. You?”
He nodded. “I’m all right.”
“Works good?”
He shrugged. “It’s fine.”
She nodded.
He stroked his thumb along her knuckles in an all-too-familiar gesture. “I want to apologize for the way we left things.”
She adamantly shook her head. “It’s all for the best.”
He sighed. “I miss you, Lyd.”
She pulled her hand from his as his confession broke her heart all over again. “Please, don’t.”
“Maybe you miss me, too.”
She nodded, even when she didn’t want to, because he had no idea just how much.
“I do miss you.” Then she shrugged helplessly because it didn’t matter.
It changed nothing. “I should probably—I’ll let you get back to your visit with my gram-gram.
” She turned, hurrying toward the door because she couldn’t take any more.
He followed. “Lyd.”
She walked faster.
He snagged her by the wrist. “Lydia.”
“What?” she said as she whirled, torturing herself by meeting his gaze again.
“Don’t go like this. I need— Let me hug you.”
She didn’t stop him when he wrapped her up. Hesitating for only a moment, she returned his embrace, closing her eyes as she held him close—as everything felt exactly right for the first time in days.
“Lyd,” he whispered as he wrapped her up tighter, nestling her head against his chest with his hand.
She wanted so desperately to stay here with him just like this, which was exactly why she couldn’t. Easing back, she struggled to keep her tears from falling as she stared into his eyes. “I can’t do this. Goodbye, Ty.”
He stopped her for just a second with his hand on her arm before he let her go. “Bye, Lyd.”
And then she left, running to her SUV as soon as the door shut behind her, swiping at the tears trailing down her cheeks.
Making fast work of turning over the engine and putting the Kia in reverse, she spotted Ty’s black pickup that she hadn’t noticed parked on the street.
Heading back down the road, she sucked in a shuddering breath as she turned toward the interstate, craving to be anywhere but there.
She imagined that Gram-Gram had only been trying to help, but she’d made everything so much worse.
Ty clenched his jaw as he fisted his hands, watching the door shut behind Lydia. “Fuck,” he said as he turned, spotting Marietta standing by the stairs in one of her slacks and blouse outfits. “I’m going to take off.”
“To go after her?”
He shook his head, even as he physically ached for the woman whom he’d just let walk away. “No.”
Marietta pressed her lips firmly together in what could only be disapproval. “I would give anything to have my Beau back, but that will never happen. Two hours doesn’t seem like much of a drive when the person you so clearly care about is as miserable as you are.”
He shook his head again. “I can’t.”
“Do you love my granddaughter, Tyler?”
He held her steely stare before he nodded. “I do. But I can’t be with her. Not the way that she wants or needs. My job—”
“Is a job.”
He frowned. “My career is how I honor my father.”
“Does Lydia make you happy?”
He nodded again. “Of course.”
“A parent only ever wants their child to be happy. It’s their greatest wish. I know in my bones that Aaron and Avery would be thrilled that their Lidybug was building a life with such a wonderful person. I have a hard time believing that your father would want anything less for you.”
He clenched his jaw, knowing that Marietta was right.
“I saw my granddaughter’s eyes when she walked into that sitting room. She told you everything you needed to know without saying a word at all. What are you going to do about that, Tyler?”
He swallowed, saying nothing, still holding her stare.
Marietta shook her head as she moved back toward the sitting room. “I’ll let you see yourself out.”
And just like that, he’d been dismissed.
“Fuck,” he said as he walked out, shutting the door behind him, heading toward his truck.
He wanted to be pissed at Marietta for ambushing him. Seeing Lydia again was a punishing reminder of exactly what he’d lost, which he imagined had been the point and Marietta’s plan all along.
Sitting in his seat, he slammed his hand against the steering wheel, hating that he’d watched Lydia blink back her tears again, loathing that he was the reason that she was sad.
He’d never wanted to hurt her, but that’s exactly what he’d done because Marietta had been right. He’d seen everything that he needed to see in Lydia’s big hazel eyes. He’d seen it for a while now.
Settling his head against the rest, he exhaled a long breath, knowing that he had choices to make.